


Pleas For Praise

by Nicxan



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: EVERYONE HAS TWO HANDS JUST ... EVERYONE HOLD HANDS, Fluff, Jealousy, M/M, Makeover, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:55:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26415271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicxan/pseuds/Nicxan
Summary: Everyone wants to be noticed in their own way.
Relationships: Aether | Quintessence Ghoul/Cardinal Copia, Aether | Quintessence Ghoul/Dewdrop Ghoul | Fire Ghoul, Cardinal Copia/Dewdrop Ghoul | Fire Ghoul
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22
Collections: Ghost BC Reverse Big Bang 2020





	Pleas For Praise

**Author's Note:**

> My other piece for the Reverse Big Bang event!  
> I took two art pieces -- one by [roxas-zen-frost](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/673775473741791232/754009255597834350/unknown.png) and the other by [fitta-smorgas](https://64.media.tumblr.com/ba36c5dcb625b7e0fc886ae34dea2e0e/d0358b48d3d06228-70/s640x960/e66376a771b0b7c0a32b52de9976db02f2495458.png) (both on Tumblr!) to make this. It was a lot of fun and I had a good time!
> 
> Enjoy!

It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the gentle breeze just made the heat manageable. It felt sacrilegious to not go outside on a day like this, so here Copia was. Surely his paperwork could wait for a while, no?   
  
It might not be the best idea to walk outside in his red suit, but he couldn’t be damned to put on the simar; it was far too hot for that sort of thing. He couldn’t not look respectable either, though. So, the suit it was. Sure, he was still a bit too hot, but at least he wasn’t roasting alive. 

Ricotta, one of his favorite rats, happily ran around the gardens. It chittered in delight and always looked to make sure Copia was following him. He was at his own pace, admiring the scenery around him. The abbey really did look beautiful in just the right light -- while the stone looked worn and old, it had its charm about it. He could hardly believe that he had only been here five short years; it already felt like home to him in a way that his old apartments never had.    
  
The people and demons here had welcomed him with open arms for the most part. While some doubted him, as was to be expected, they didn’t exactly make him feel unwelcome, either. They normally just gave him an odd glance and moved on with their day. When he gave those skeptics an order from Sister, they hesitated before agreeing. Frustrating, very frustrating, but there wasn’t much he could do.    
  
Copia clenched his fists as he walked, feeling the leather dig against itself as he did so.    
  
No, no. He was here to relax, not to think about how people seemed to doubt and distrust him. Copia was the figurehead of the church now whether people liked it or not. They would get used to it eventually. Surely people treated each former Papa the same when they first rose to power, right?    
  
This was just a stepping stone, just like the ones he was walking over now.   
  
Copia gingerly stepped around the jasmine plants and continued his walk. Ricotta took it upon himself to choose this time to climb onto his shoe, making Copia stumble somewhat to avoid stepping on him.    
  
“Ah! Ricotta! Stop that --!”    
  
Ricotta chittered in defiance.   
  
“I don’t care if you want me to look at that plant, no? You can’t climb on my shoe like that!”    
  
Ricotta groomed himself, squeaking in irritation as he did so. If a rat could look put out, he absolutely would.    
  
“Now, now,” Copia soothed. “Of course I care about what you want, it’s just that you could get hurt. I don’t want to step on you.”    
  
Ricotta huffed. Copia, in an attempt to make his rat feel better, leaned down and scooped up Ricotta. The rat immediately turned into a puddle in his hands, but his tail still swished.    
  
Realizing that there was no way to calm his rat down right now, Copia simply sighed and continued to move down the line of ... what were these heart-shaped plants? Strange, but nature could be extremely strange sometimes. Primo had always reveled in it. He quickly banished the thought of the beloved Papa and just tried to focus on the other people who were out enjoying the sunshine.    
  
Copia gave a friendly little wave to Mountain as he passed, but Mountain was too absorbed in his book to really notice. This stung, but Copia brushed it off and continued his should-be-peaceful walk. Ricotta had cheered up considerably at this point, and his chipper chittering made things just a bit more bearable. Copia even found himself smiling as he continued his stroll.    
  
Ricotta suddenly froze in Copia’s hands. Copia glanced down at him immediately, worried for him when he saw his tail swishing around as much as it was. Why was he annoyed? He was holding Ricotta the way he always did; maybe he didn’t like it anymore?   
  
“Ricotta?” he asked quietly. “Tell me what’s wrong.”    
  
Nothing except for more tail swishing. Ricotta’s gaze was fixed ahead of him, eyes unblinking. Copia finally looked up, wanting to see what irritated his beloved rat so, and then he froze himself.    
  
Aether was up ahead. He was taking a leisurely stroll, just as Copia was, with his hands behind his back. He looked up now and again, expression hidden by his mask, but his body language showed that he was relaxed. His shoulders were slack, his tail waved lazily, and his posture was as lax as could be.   
  
Copia swallowed nervously, surprised at how dry his throat had become out of nowhere. He had only seen Aether in practice sessions; he’d rarely seen the ghoul outside of them, never mind not working. He always took his work so seriously that he could be heard practicing at all hours of the day.  _ ‘Even ghouls need breaks,’  _ Copia reminded himself. Aether, as hard of a worker he was, was no exception.    
  
Aether’s work ethic was something to be admired, though. Copia couldn’t help but do so. He always went above and beyond with his duties, being sure to put his best foot forward at every possible point. When Copia asked him to do something, he didn’t even hesitate. In practice sessions, they actually riffed on each other pretty well; suggestions went both ways. Copia learned from Aether just as much as Aether learned from him.    
  
Respect was an intoxicating feeling. Aether gave it to him in spades.   
  
But there was something else about Aether, too. His demeanor in practice was so serious, so meek, and yet somehow he attracted a lot of attention. Dewdrop had never liked that bit much, but Copia found it intriguing. He was so complex, so multi-faceted. Copia had always wanted to learn more about him.    
  
Maybe now was his chance? Neither of them had anything to do right now. Maybe ... maybe they could just talk. Copia found himself rooted to the spot once the idea came to mind. His grip on Ricotta tightened ever so slightly, but the rat’s squeaks of indignation snapped him out of it.    
  
Well, it couldn’t hurt. And if Aether wanted to be left alone, surely he’d tell Copia so.   
  
“Sorry, there, but you have to go down now, yes? Yes, there we go ...” Copia crouched down to let Ricotta loose, much to the dismay of the little rat. He squeaked, he pawed, he looked up at Copia pleadingly, but Copia was not moved. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He did move -- just away from Ricotta.    
  
“Aether!” Copia called. The quintessence ghoul jumped at the sound of Copia’s voice, much to Copia’s dismay. He paused and turned around, tilting his head inquisitively. Copia felt his cheeks flush, but quickly beat down the implications of that. He was just embarrassed, that was all. “Hello! Hello, hello. Uh ... hi.”    
  
Aether just waved cheerfully rather than saying anything. Most importantly, he didn’t walk away. Quite frankly, Copia didn’t anticipate getting this far.    
  
“Nice day for a walk,” he said rather nervously.   
  
“It is,” Aether replied.    
  
Hell itself could split open and it still wouldn’t sound as good as Aether’s voice did. Copia smiled brightly and skipped a step towards Aether, taking his place by his side.    
  
“Finally taking a break, hm?”   
  
“Yeah.” Aether resumed walking, and Copia matched his pace. It took some effort, since Aether was taller than him, but he matched it all the same. “It’s nice to get away from the guitar for a little bit. I practiced for five hours this morning by accident.”    
  
“... How does that happen?” Copia asked, knowing exactly how that happens. He couldn’t count the times he pulled all-nighters trying to come up with songs.    
  
“Sometimes you just get too into it,” Aether said sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his neck as he walked. Copia couldn’t see it, but he hoped that Aether was smiling under his mask. “Besides, I had a lot of fun practicing Mummy Dust. I think that’s the song I feel most comfortable with so far.”    
  
Copia felt a twinge of anger but managed to hide it with a bright smile. It was to be expected; the past Papas were amazing songwriters, and he was still learning. “Ah, yes. And fun to sing, too.”    
  
“You do great with it,” Aether said with a nod. The tip of his tail quivered -- why, Copia had no idea. He could only hope it was something as ...  _ indulgent _ as Aether imagining him singing it and being delighted with it. “I had no idea your voice had that much of a range.”    
  
“I was trained since I was small,” Copia replied. “I always enjoyed being in choirs. It was quite fun, quite wonderful training. It all taught me quite a bit.”    
  
“Well, it shows.”    
  
Copia’s heart nearly stopped. A genuine compliment? He didn’t think he’d see the day; all Copia could remember were the ass-kissers and the ones afraid of him. Or the ones that didn’t quite believe in him. Either way, aside from Sister, compliments were quite rare. He hoped Aether didn’t notice the skip in his step.    
  
“Ah, thank you! Thank you, yes. It, uh, yes. I worked very hard,” Copia stammered. “You have no idea how many times I’ve listened to that song.”    
  
“At least a hundred times?”   
  
“Multiply that by about ten, then perhaps you’re close.”    
  
The both of them laughed, and Ricotta chittered angrily. Copia hadn’t noticed that his beloved rat had fallen behind. He took a second to pause and crouch down, cooing at his rat to hurry and catch up. Ricotta did so, but not without giving Copia what-for.   
  
“So you do have rats, then?” Aether asked. “I just thought that was a rumor.”   
  
“Oh, yes!” Copia resumed walking with Aether again, content that Ricotta was much closer now. “They’re cute -- very cute. I think I will use them for my first music video. What do you think? Yes? No?”   
  
“I mean, if Sister lets it happen ...” Aether shrugged. “I don’t see why it would be a problem.”    
  
“Yes! That’s what I think too. We could use them in shots where people aren’t dancing around!” Copia noticed that he was starting to talk a bit faster, but didn’t find himself caring about that too much. He was just too excited sharing his ideas with an actual listening ear. “I think the experience would be very good for them.”   
  
Aether and Copia rounded the corner, continuing their walk just along the edge of the trail. Hardly anyone ever came back here; Copia found that to be a shame, really. It was always so pretty at the back of the abbey and there was such a wonderful view of the lake at the bottom of the hill. Copia craned his neck to see a few Siblings of Sin and ghouls lounging by the waters. Not a surprise. No one, however, was looking at them.    
  
Copia tried to ignore how hot his cheeks were. He also tried to stop glancing over in Aether’s direction, but neither of those were really successful. Having other people around was one thing, but suddenly being alone with a handsome ghoul that actually gave him due credit? One that complimented him and actually seemed to enjoy his company?    
  
Suddenly the walk seemed much different. It grew quiet between the two. Copia swore he could see Aether glancing over now and again too, but didn’t dare to hope. Ricotta’s squeaks and little footsteps were the only things that broke the silence between them. If he listened carefully, he could hear some idle chatter between the Siblings, but didn’t bother to try and parse it.    
  
“... Are you nervous?”   
  
“Hm? What was that, Aether?”   
  
“Are you nervous about being the frontman?”    
  
A good question. One Copia was nervous about answering -- so much so that he ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ for a few solid seconds before bothering to put together a proper response.    
  
“Seems foolish to admit weakness,” Copia eventually settled on. “But I think we are all a bit nervous, yes. I’m not sure our current air ghoul will be able to handle things. But, no, no. He’s not the only one. The pressure is ... the pressure’s rather massive. A lot is riding on how well I do.”    
  
“True,” Aether said. “But you’ve been working so hard. I think you’ll be fine.”    
  
Copia blinked in surprise, but did his best to hide it. He failed miserably. Instead, he just stopped in his tracks and stared at Aether in disbelief. “Wait -- you think so?”    
  
Aether stopped walking and turned to look at Copia directly. Copia could see Aether’s yellow eyes shimmering beneath the mask; he swore he could see a smile too, based on the muscles he could see. “I do. I’ve seen how much you’ve been working trying to live up to the expectations Sister has. Other people might doubt you, but I don’t.”    
  
“No?”   
  
“No.”   
  
Copia’s heart hammered in his chest, much to his shame. It was such a small gesture, but actually hearing it from someone that he liked -- it meant the world to him. Someone actually saw how hard he worked to make his visions come to life. Aether had given him hope with such a simple speech.    
  
Words seemed pointless. What words could measure up to Aether’s? A simple ‘thank you?’ No, that would be an insult. Copia swallowed, cursing the lump in his throat. He fiddled with his gloves, stammering pathetically.    
  
“Cardinal? Are you all right?”   
  
Damn it all, now he had worried Aether! His cheeks burned hot, surely just out of embarrassment, surely it wasn’t anything else -- and now --    
  
“Fine! Just fine, yes, just -- you know, not quite used to the compliments yet. Or the belief. Or --”    
  
Aether took Copia’s gloved hand and gently squeezed it. “You might not be yet, but you will be soon. People will be excited about you. They’re going to love your music -- I know I do.”    
  
“I ... thanks. I mean, thank you, yes. Thank you, Aether.”   
  
Ricotta chittered angrily distantly in the background, but Copia found himself not caring about Ricotta that much right now. All he could really see were Aether’s soft, compassionate eyes, the way they shone in the sun, and how he kept holding Copia’s hand. He could have let go a while ago, but had chosen not to.    
  
For a few awkward moments, Copia wasn’t sure what to do. He was sure he had a death grip on Aether’s hand; that was bad, so he let go. Did Aether look wounded at that? He wasn’t sure, but --    
  
Before he really realized what he was doing, Copia had grabbed Aether by his arm and pulled him over, kissing him on the cheek. Aether’s skin was so warm, almost feeling like fire beneath his lips. Aether’s blush barely showed, but it looked like flecks of stardust against his black-as-night skin.    
  
Copia pulled back, smiling awkwardly. Then, the realization of what he had done hit him. He had just kissed one of his ghouls on the cheek without checking to see if that was all right. On top of that, he looked rather embarrassed --    
  
Angry squeaking snapped them both out of the daze they were in. Copia and Aether looked over to Ricotta, who had darted off towards the lake in what Copia could only assume was sheer anger.    
  
“Wait! Ricotta! Come back!” Copia hightailed it after his beloved rat. Aether wasn’t too far behind. 

* * *

Dewdrop was very glad that he had gone on a walk today. Not because he was  _ happy, _ but because his suspicions were confirmed. Suspecting Copia and Aether was one infuriating thing. Actually seeing Copia kiss Aether on the cheek was another thing entirely.    
  
_ ‘Stupid, stupid, can’t believe this --’ _   
  
He stormed back into the abbey, grumbling and snarling under his breath. The door slammed behind him. Siblings of Sin and other ghouls steered well clear of Dewdrop as he stomped down the hallway. Smoke wafted up to the ceiling. Dewdrop knew that came from him and that it might set off the alarms, but he didn’t care. The whole abbey could come crumbling down and he wouldn’t give a damn at this point.    
  
He couldn’t believe the audacity of the both of them! Aether trying to buddy up with Copia, Copia trying to shower favors on one ghoul -- a ghoul that wasn’t him, no less! What did Aether have that he didn’t!?    
  
He had given Copia attention during the practice sessions, right? He had looked over at him, flicked his tail, nodded along to what he was singing! That had to be something, but apparently not! What, was he supposed to fawn over the guy while he was practicing? Aether hadn’t! So why?    
  
And on that point, why had Aether noticed Copia and not him? Dewdrop had seen Aether look at him like he had Copia, but apparently he wasn’t good enough. Maybe he should’ve thrown another pick or two at him, that would’ve gotten his attention. Either way, though ... he had apparently missed his shot.    
  
That just made more smoke rise up from his nearly-scorching body. Dewdrop could smell a hint of burnt fabric and then realized he probably needed to calm down.   
  
Right now, he just wanted to go sulk in his quarters. He’d do that, scheme a way to get Copia back out from under Aether’s nose, and make everything better. Easy.  _ Too _ easy, even. Aether would curse the day he tried to see anyone that wasn’t Dewdrop, too. Whatever plan he came up with would be foolproof and have them both eating out of the palm of his hand.    
  
Playing that through his head over and over did help him; the smoke stopped rising, and the burnt fabric stench wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been a few seconds ago. However, Dewdrop had grown too lost in thought. This became evident when he accidentally slammed into someone who was walking towards him.    
  
“Hey! Watch it!” he snapped.    
  
“Could say the same for you,” came Cirrus’ voice.    
  
Oh. Shit.    
  
Dewdrop looked up to the air Ghoulettes. If he had ever felt sheepish in his life, it would’ve been now. Cirrus had a way of looking at him that made him feel like a scolded child, and Cumulus just looking disappointed next to her only made that worse.    
  
“Haven’t seen you try to burn off your clothes in a while,” Cirrus continued nonchalantly. She tilted her head. She was clearly smiling underneath the mask. “What’s got you so heated?”    
  
Cumulus giggled at the pun, but Dewdrop just opted to ignore it.    
  
“Nothing,” he grumbled.    
  
Cumulus shook her head, clearly disappointed with his terrible, terrible lie.   
  
“... Okay, fine, it’s something.”    
  
“That’s what I thought,” Cumulus said gently. She walked over to Dewdrop and patted him on the shoulder gingerly, as if she was afraid the heat emanating from him would scorch her. “Do you want to talk about it?”   
  
“Sure as hell not here! Why would I want to do that where anyone could hear?”    
  
Cumulus looked around at the crowd of people moving up and down the hallway as if she was seeing them for the first time. She then looked up to Cirrus, motioning her head towards the end of the hall. “Think we can host him for a bit?”   
  
“I don’t see why not,” Cirrus replied. “All right, Dew. Come on. If something’s got you so pissed that you’re burning your clothes ...”    
  
“I didn’t actually burn them,” Dewdrop mumbled. As if to double-check, he glanced at his button-down shirt and his trousers. “See? Not burned.”    
  
Cirrus laughed, then wrapped an arm around Dewdrop’s shoulders. “Sure, sure. Now, let’s go to our room. Stop trying to stall.”    
  
Dewdrop followed silently, stewing at how Cirrus so effectively shut him down and called him out on his bullshit in so few words. How did she do that? He let himself be led by the Ghoulettes. Cirrus kept her arm around his shoulders, and Cumulus had a hand on his middle back, guiding him down the twisting and turning halls to their quarters. Dew just kept his hands in his pockets, utterly silent.    
  
This was so humiliating.    
  
“Here we are!” Cirrus chirped merrily. She just about skipped to their door and unlocked it, all but pushing Dewdrop inside.    
  
He could’ve gagged, but it would’ve been more polite not to. Their decorations were so ... gaudy. At least, they were to him. Thin strips of semi-transparent fabric decorated the entire room, each varying in size and color. Red faded into orange, into yellow, and so on. The worst was around their bed -- it had a whole damn rainbow on it. How they could sleep with such bright colors, he’d never understand.    
  
Photos of the both of them were scattered about the room, some in frames, some not. There was a keyboard at the corner of the room along with an older keytar next to it.  _ ‘Huh. They must practice here too.’  _   
  
“Sit down, I insist!” Cumulus steered Dewdrop to a cushioned stool that he was far too big for, then pushed him down. Left with no choice, he sat cross-legged, tail flicking in irritation. “Comfortable?”   
  
“No.”    
  
Cirrus’ pointed look made Dewdrop change his mind real fast.    
  
“Yeah.”    
  
“Excellent!” Cumulus clapped her hands together and sat on the floor in front of Dewdrop, tail tip lazily twitching. “Need tea? Water?”   
  
“I’m good,” Dewdrop said with a wave of his hand. “Maybe later.”   
  
“So, what happened?” Cirrus asked. She almost sounded ... eager.  _ Suspiciously _ eager, in fact. She had her fingers laced together and was resting her head on top of her palms.    
  
“I saw Copia kiss Aether on the cheek,” Dew grumbled. Even just remembering it made him almost burn all over again.    
  
“... That’s it?” Cirrus asked skeptically. “I mean, writing was on the wall for a while. Copia kept making googly eyes at Aether, so ...”   
  
“What do you mean ‘the writing was on the wall?’ That’s bullshit!” Dewdrop snapped. “I didn’t notice at all!”    
  
“That’s because you were too wrapped up in trying to impress everyone with your guitar solos to actually talk to anyone,” Cirrus said with a roll of her eyes.    
  
“The hell you mean by that?”    
  
“My point is, have you ever tried talking to them outside of practice? Or in practice, for that matter?” Cirrus examined her nails, almost looking amused. She still had an air of dismissiveness about her, but Dewdrop couldn’t help but feel like he almost deserved it. “Usually, you spend your time picking on Rain.”   
  
Dewdrop remained silent for a time, then eventually muttered, “He’s fun to pick on.”

Cumulus giggled. “He is, I have to admit that.”    
  
Cirrus rolled her eyes at this, but knowing her, she was silently agreeing. Not that she could out loud, though; her pride would be bruised.    
  
“So you can’t really be surprised that they didn’t notice you,” Cirrus continued. “I don’t know who you’re jealous of, Aether or Copia, but ... you didn’t exactly let them get to know you. We only know you because Cumulus forced you to hang out after practice a few times.”    
  
“Which I don’t regret, by the way,” Cumulus cut in. “You’re wonderful when not trying too hard to impress everyone around you.”   
  
Dewdrop was so grateful that the mask hid his blush. They probably knew anyway, but they could only suspect. His tail lashed from left to right as he shifted on his too-small seat. The cushion was comfy, but he had no idea how long he was going to be able to sit here.    
  
“Then what can I do? I mean, aside from talking to them in practice,” Dewdrop asked. “It’s sort of a done deal, isn’t it?”   
  
“If you want to give up, it can be,” Cumulus replied. She tilted her head to the side, regarding Dewdrop curiously. “A kiss on the cheek doesn’t mean they’re dating. It could have just been a token of appreciation, or just a way to say thank you.”   
  
“Cumulus has a point.” Cirrus shifted and sat cross-legged on the bed. “Not all hope is lost, but you need to shape up a lot.”    
  
“Thanks,” Dewdrop said with a sarcastic twinge. “Really encouraging.”    
  
“You know if it was totally hopeless, I’d tell you, right?” Cirrus shook her head, chuckling to herself. “Consider it a good sign I didn’t.”   
  
He had to admit that she had a point there. Dewdrop glared at Cirrus for a moment, which she met with an even, cool gaze. Neither of them backed down for a few moments, each of them daring to say something.    
  
Cumulus was the one that spoke first in the end. “So, if you want ...” she trailed off. Dewdrop noticed the tip of her tail quiver in sheer and utter glee. He blinked, somewhat bemused and nervous all at once.    
  
“What?”   
  
“We could give you a makeover before practice tonight!” Cumulus chirped. “You’ll have to do the work, but we can at least make Copia and Aether turn their heads!”    
  
Cirrus’ smile looked straight out of a slasher film. Her fangs glistened in the light from the window. “Oh, I love that idea.”    
  
“A makeover?” Dewdrop sputtered. “What in the fu--”    
  
“They’re going to notice you if we pretty you up a bit,” Cumulus explained. She bounced off of the bed and rushed to the dresser, opening the top drawer with inhuman speed and beginning to pull out numerous things that Dewdrop didn’t even know existed. “So, if you behave yourself and actually be nice to them, it’ll get their attention in a good way!”   
  
“Before you complain,” Cirrus added, “Don’t forget that you keep showing up to practice with your hair messed up and that your shirt’s always tucked in wrong.”    
  
Damn it.    
  
Dewdrop sulked on his stool, fuming silently as Cumulus and Cirrus gathered their supplies. He could recognize a hairbrush -- he wasn’t  _ that _ far gone -- but he was suspicious at all the things they brought out. Was that a nail file? Mascara? How could anyone even see his eyes that well under his mask?   
  
“All right, now ...” Cirrus sat next to Dewdrop; Cumulus followed suit on the opposite side. “Stay still, all right?”   
  
“Fine.”    
  
Dewdrop did indeed stay still, but he hated every second of it. Cirrus had let down his hair from the tie and began to brush it out. He winced every time she hit a knot in his long, luscious locks, but said absolutely nothing. It was his own fault for not brushing it, and deep down, he knew that.   
  
Cumulus was working on something completely different. She had taken his right hand and held it up, gently nudging his fingers so he’d splay out his claws. She began to trim and file them, humming a cheery little tune.    
  
“You were going to cut these before practice, right?” Cumulus asked.    
  
“Well, yeah. I just clip them. That’s all you need.”    
  
“Not if you want to get Aether and Copia to notice you, it’s not.” Cumulus grinned and resumed filing Dew’s nails. “They’re going to be looking at your hands a lot. Might as well make them look good.”    
  
He hadn’t thought of that. Copia was going to be checking chords, Aether might ask for tips and look at his hands, too ... actually, it was ingenious. Dewdrop hummed in approval, while managing to sound like he was just deep in thought. Cirrus’ little smirk told him that she knew exactly what he was thinking.    
  
“Unholy Belial in hell, what the hell happened to your hair here?” Cirrus asked. “You’ve got a rat’s nest the size of the seventh level of hell in here!”    
  
“Don’t call it that around Copia. He’ll pitch a fit.” Dewdrop was proud of his snarky response, but it was quickly forgotten; he yelped as Cirrus began to brush through the rat’s nest. “Fuck, that hurts!”    
  
“Stop squirming!” Cumulus gripped Dewdrop’s hand tighter. Once he settled down, Cumulus resumed trimming and filing his nails. “Do you want any nail polish?”   
  
“Black?”   
  
“Figured. Already grabbed it.” Cumulus paused only to wiggle the bottle of black nail polish, then she got right back to work. She managed to keep a steady hand while painting Dewdrop’s nails, even when he yelped and screamed at the constant hair-tugging.    
  
“Fuck off!” he shouted to Cirrus.   
  
“Then brush your hair more often!”   
  
Dewdrop hissed and snarled as Cirrus continued to work through the rat’s nest that had formed. His left hand gripped the stool tightly; he was sure that he had heard the sound of ripping fabric a bit ago, but no one really cared.    
  
“I’m thinking we get him some fancy suspenders, too,” Cirrus mused as she brushed. “What do you think, Cumulus?”   
  
“We can for next time!” Cumulus nodded, then gestured for Dewdrop’s other hand. He reluctantly let go of the stool and held it out to her. His just-painted nails rested precariously on his thigh. Dewdrop knew that if he moved them, Cumulus would have a fit.    
  
He just lifted one, and a quiet hiss promptly made him put his finger back down. Cumulus’ silent nod told him that was the right choice.    
  
Things went on in this vein for quite some time. Dewdrop almost yelled in utter relief when Cirrus finally combed through the last of the tangles in his hair and when Cumulus finished painting his nails. He wasn’t allowed to move for a solid thirty minutes, which nearly killed him, but he managed to survive. Thank Lucifer he had a tail to twitch and flick around.    
  
What Cirrus was doing to his hair, he had no idea. He felt her twist and turn it, but he couldn’t exactly see the results. Was she sticking pins in there? Why was it in a bun? Was it? Hell, he had no idea anymore.   
  
“Should we have some strands hanging down?”   
  
“No, the mask would cover those up. I say put it all up.”    
  
“Makes sense to me. Thanks, Cumulus.”   
  
Eventually, he was allowed to stand. Well, more like he was told to stand. Dewdrop shot up like a rocket as soon as Cumulus allowed him to. He let out a frustrated groan when they both stopped him right there and began to fiddle with his outfit. They moved the suspenders off of his shoulders, just so they could tuck in his shirt properly.    
  
“Do you always look like this much of a slob?” Cirrus asked.    
  
“Fuck off, it’s a good look.”    
  
Dewdrop fondly recalled all the Siblings of Sin that gave him googly eyes as he passed by, giggling bashfully and blushing. That only got so much better when he winked at them, or when he was kind enough to wave at them. Clearly, they thought it was a good look too.    
  
“If you say so. You’re not going to look like that today, though.” Cirrus shook her head and then finished tucking in his shirt, then paused. “... Your buttons are misaligned. That a ‘good look’ too?”   
  
Dewdrop remained silent.    
  
“Well?”   
  
“That ... might’ve been an accident,” he admitted. “I was in a rush to get ready this morning.”    
  
That was fixed relatively quickly. Dewdrop huffed and rolled his eyes as the Ghoulettes rebuttoned his shirt, but was wise enough to not say anything about it. As much as he hated to admit it, they  _ were _ doing him a favor.    
  
After some more fiddling with his shirt and mask -- that polishing shit smelled so awful -- Cumulus put the suspenders back in their rightful place.    
  
“All right, we’re done! Take a look.”    
  
Dewdrop rolled his eyes as he stepped in front of the body-length mirror next to the dresser, certain that there wouldn’t be much of a difference at all.    
  
He had never been more wrong in his whole life.    
  
Dewdrop could see the improvements immediately. His polished mask shone brightly, bringing attention to his bright yellow eyes underneath it. When he turned his head to the side, he could see that his silver hair had been tied up into the neatest looking bun he had ever seen. Some strands of hair fell out, but it looked much better than anything he could do. His outfit was prim and proper, his nails were a shining beautiful black ...    
  
Damn it. The Ghoulettes were right. He probably looked like shit during his practice sessions. No  _ wonder _ Copia and Aether didn’t notice him.    
  
“Now, what do we say?” Cirrus asked with noted amusement in her voice.    
  
“Thank you, Cirrus and Cumulus,” Dewdrop grumbled.    
  
“You’re welcome!” Cumulus hugged Dewdrop tightly, swinging him side to side. Her giggles would’ve been contagious for literally anyone else, but Dewdrop continued to sulk instead.    
  
“Now, we’ll let you get to practice earlier than everyone else.” Cirrus began to put away their supplies. “But you have to remember to be nice to them. Actually ask about them and do things with them. You can’t sit around and hope they’ll just notice you. They’re not Siblings of Sin.”    
  
“Damn, all right, all right.” Dewdrop pulled Cumulus off of him, which she reluctantly accepted. She did, however, pat him on the head before skipping off to help Cirrus pack things back up. “But what do I do?”   
  
“Maybe see if Aether will do practice sessions with you. You’re both guitar players. Ask Copia if he can look over your playing sometime. You have to start small.”    
  
Cirrus continued in this vein, giving Dewdrop a pep talk that would usually bore him to tears. This time, however, he found himself hanging on every word. While he owed the Ghoulettes big time, he would have to worry about that later.    
  
Right now, he had a plan. It had calmed him down just as much as he expected it to. Now it was time to put it into action.    


* * *

Aether was still reeling from that kiss on the cheek from earlier.    
  
Some people might call that pathetic, since it happened over five hours ago, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Was it just a show of thanks? Was it just because he was kind? Maybe Copia actually liked him? Did Aether actually like him too, or was he just flustered? Aether didn’t know how to process any of it and he didn’t have time to worry about it; he had practice this evening.    
  
Everyone would notice if he was a bit off tonight. He had to focus! When Aether tried to recall his parts for Dance Macabre, his mind just slipped back to the sight of Copia rushing after his beloved rat and how they had to chase Ricotta down together.    
  
It was strange, it was different, and Aether wanted to just forget about it. If only his mind would let him.    
  
Aether sighed as he opened the door to the band’s practice space. He was early enough where he could warm up in peace. No one would be watching him, he could get into the groove, and then everything would be fine.    
  
Well, it would be fine if Dewdrop and Copia weren’t already there.    
  
Aether froze in shock. Dewdrop and Copia were talking amongst themselves, and -- Dew looked different today. Were his nails done? Was his hair tied up neatly for once? It was such a sudden change, and Aether found himself staring at the smaller ghoul. He looked  _ good; _ it was hard not to.   
  
Copia’s voice, however, snapped him out of it.   
  
“... ah, so you want more private sessions, yes? I can see why. Much easier to pinpoint issues. We can work on your guitar segments with Aether if you want. Now, granted, Alpha will have to be there sometimes, but ...” Copia trailed off and looked over at Aether.    
  
The awkward, painful moment of silence made Aether wish that he could just disappear. Both of them were blushing, both of them were clearly repeating the events from earlier in their minds, but neither of them could even bear to say anything.    
  
In the end, Dewdrop was the one that saved them both.    
  
“Hey, Aether.”   
  
“Um ... hey, Dewdrop.”    
  
Aether had seen how Dew picked on Rain. Now that his favorite metaphorical chew toy wasn’t there, Aether was nervous. He rushed to set down his guitar, praying to Belial and Asmodeus that Dewdrop wouldn’t decide to pick on him. The fire ghoul could be absolutely ruthless when he wanted to be.    
  
Much to Aether’s surprise, though, Dewdrop remained completely civil. “Hey, I was just talking to the Cardinal about practice sessions for us guitar players. He and Alpha could help us work on shit. That okay with you?”   
  
“S-Sure. I mean, if that’s what the Cardinal wants.”    
  
“Now, now, I’m leaving it up to you,” Copia stammered out. “I mean, it’s more along the lines of ... well ... it would be good to practice your sections together, yes? To see how they sound? And I could oversee. But only if you want to. This isn’t a command.”   
  
Well, when it was put like that ... Aether chewed on the idea for a few moments as he continued to set up his guitar. It would be good to get extra practice with other people. His solo sessions were useful, sure, but actually learning how others were supposed to sound would help too. Getting to know the bandmates better might be a good thing.    
  
“I think that’s a good idea,” Aether said. “It’ll help us work together better.”    
  
“Okie dokie.” Copia nodded and clapped his hands together, smiling brightly. “We’ll start that next week? That sound good?”   
  
“Sounds good to me,” Dewdrop replied with a nod. “Looking forward to it.”    
  
Aether swore he could see the hint of a sly smile under Dewdrop’s mask, but decided to pay no mind to it. The other ghouls were going to arrive soon, and they had to focus. Even so, he couldn’t help but steal a glance at the oddly-groomed Dewdrop, and then at the Cardinal.    
  
That now-familiar blush creeped back to his cheeks, but Aether couldn’t ignore it this time. He didn’t even want to try. Instead, Aether just smiled to himself as he tuned his guitar. 


End file.
